But its almost all adventure climbing so you have to be ready for that.

Its possible to top rope a few things by scrambling around to a tree with biners and slings. Toproper's Buttress by the climb "Chinese Handcuffs" is one place. Another is by scrambling from the right onto a ledge above some short climbs like "Eldorado" or "Quivering Hips".

Allamuchy is good for top rope. And all the climbs at Ricks Rocks can be toproped by slinging trees.

I'm brand new to climbing...only been to gyms. I'm just seeing what's out there for now while I continue to climb.

DWG is not for new climbers. It is adventure climbing for sure. You can easily get yourself in trouble there.

You are better off at either of the other two areas suggested above, if you have someone with you that knows how to build an anchor. They are both good for beginners, but require anchor building skills to set up.

mt tammany isn't the place to learn. the gap is pretty wild, even for someone who knows what they're doing. nevermind coming straight from the gym to rock for the first time. wait, save up a few bucks, and go out with a guide...or find an experienced climber. you can build anchors in your backyard and go out there with a good fundamental understanding of "bunny ears off of two sturdy trees", but there's a little more to it and having a watchful and experienced eye looking over your shoulder for the first time out is a good investment. good luck.

Iíd be happy to explain. And donít take this the wrong way eitherÖnot doubting your intelligence, ability or eagerness. You may climb well in the gym, and your climbing skills may transfer well on rockÖbut, youíre outdoor climbing skills (talking about anchoring, cliff safety, rope management, etc.) should already be well developed before venturing out to The Gap. Itís not about building an anchor, itís about the overall knowledge of outdoor climbing. You can build an anchor 1-2-3 and top-rope all day like youíre at the gym at some crags. The Gap, not so muchÖ

For one, itís multi-pitch climbing. The cliffs are too tall to top-rope. You build your tree anchor up top, lower your rope, and youíll see thereís a lot of air between the tail ends and the ground. You may find a few shorter routes that are an exception. But, for the most part the cliffs are multi-pitch lead climbs.

Two, Tammany is a very dangerous place for a beginner. The vegetation is overgrown and a lot of the rock is loose. Trust me when I say those two short sentences carry a heavy weight of caution with them. The loose rock and overgrown vegetation are really a factor when it comes to quality of climbing. Itís not clean climbing, like you would see at the Gunks. Itís dirty, funky, grungy, and scary.

Allamuchy is a better place to start out. The upper three walls are a great place to learn how to safely set up top-rope climbs and learn. Ralph Stover is another great place to learn, and Iím pretty sure there are some bolted multi-pitch climbs. Those two places are established for climbing. The Gap? The Gap is sort of just a big cliff out there in the woods, in comparison. Thatís why people refer to the climbing there as Adventure Climbing.

If your gonna be around Saturday, ill be climbing some where in nj, between my brother and i, we have a nice amount of experience building anchors. Your welcome to join us. And what part of nj are you from?